Where Does Bourbon Coffee Sit Within the Arabica Family?

Bourbon is one of the oldest varieties in the Arabica family, a mutation of Typica first planted on Réunion Island, known as Île Bourbon before 1789. It is now grown widely at roughly 1,062 to 1,972 meters and shows dark chocolate, cocoa, nut and caramel notes with gentle acidity and low bitterness.

Compared with Typica, Bourbon has broader leaves and denser growth, yields somewhat more but still harvests on a two-year cycle. Red Bourbon and Yellow Bourbon differ mainly in ripe fruit color, while lots such as Brazil Cerrado Red Bourbon, Brazil Queen Estate Yellow Bourbon and Kenya Hania French Mission Bourbon share the family's wine-like acidity and sweet finish.

Bourbon coffee is one of the oldest and most representative varieties in the Arabica family. Originating from a mutation of Typica and first taking root on Réunion Island, it has now become a widely cultivated coffee staple worldwide. This article will guide you through the historical evolution of the Bourbon variety, analyze its signature flavors of dark chocolate, cocoa, nuts, and caramel, and focus on comparing Red Bourbon and Yellow Bourbon in terms of fruit color, cultivation characteristics, and cupping performance. The article will also mention specific products such as Front Street Brazil Cerrado Red Bourbon, Front Street Brazil Queen Estate Yellow Bourbon, and Front Street Kenya Hania French Mission Bourbon, helping enthusiasts understand the diversity of this variety more intuitively.

The Origin and Flavor Characteristics of Front Street Bourbon Varieties: The Difference Between Red Bourbon and Yellow Bourbon

Bourbon coffee (French: Café Bourbon) refers to coffee produced by the Bourbon cultivar of the Arabica coffee tree. This variety was first planted on Réunion, an island known as Île Bourbon before 1789. Later, the French occupied the island and connected it with the African continent and Latin America. Today, Bourbon is one of the most widespread Arabica coffee producers globally, typically grown at elevations of 3,500 to 6,500 feet (1,062–1,972 meters).

Overall, the different varieties of Bourbon coffee have relatively similar flavors. For example, Front Street Brazil Cerrado Red Bourbon, Front Street Brazil Queen Estate Yellow Bourbon, and Front Street Kenya Hania French Mission Bourbon all carry distinct notes of dark chocolate, cocoa, nuts, and caramel, with gentle acidity and low bitterness.

Bourbon is a sub-variety resulting from a mutation of Typica (Typica) and, along with Typica, is among the oldest existing coffee varieties. Its green fruit turns bright red when ripe.

Compared with Typica, Bourbon has broader leaves and denser growth. Although its yield is higher than Typica, its harvest cycle is also two years, and it still belongs to the lower-yielding varieties. Yet it offers excellent taste, with wine-like acidity and a sweet finish. The coffee beans are relatively large, uniform in size, and even and glossy in color. For ease of harvesting, farmers prune the coffee trees to no more than 150 centimeters.

Red Bourbon

After the Red Bourbon coffee tree flowers and bears fruit, the color of the coffee cherries changes as follows: green > slightly yellow > slightly orange > ripe red > darker, more mature red. Therefore, some also call it the Red Bourbon variety; in fact, Red Bourbon is what we generally refer to as Bourbon. Bourbon grown at high altitudes usually has better aroma, brighter acidity, and even a flavor reminiscent of red wine.

Yellow Bourbon

Yellow Bourbon is a cross between Bourbon and other varieties. Because of its lower yield and relatively poor resistance to wind and rain, it has not been widely planted. However, when grown in high-altitude areas, it delivers excellent flavor performance, and it has become more common in recent years.

Yellow Bourbon, as the name suggests, has yellow fruit when ripe. It was first discovered in Brazil and is currently mainly grown there. It is generally believed to have originated from a mutation after a cross between a red-fruited Bourbon and a yellow-fruited Typica variant called "Amerelo de Botocatu."

The above content is compiled by CoffeeHunters, a coffee news website.